Health officials: Source of Legionnaires' disease in Plant City still unknown

PLANT CITY — The source of the bacteria that killed one and sickened two in Plant City remains a mystery, said Hillsborough Health Department spokesman Steve Huard.

Tests for the bacteria that causes Legionnaires' disease returned negative Monday from six samples taken from the Meadows at Countrywood, a 55-and-older mobile home park, Huard said.

Health officials haven't found any other leads outside the park to possible sources of the bacteria, which grows naturally and spreads in misting vapors. They're unlikely to conduct more tests, Huard said, and may never know how the disease originated.

That's no cause for additional concern, he said. The source is often difficult to pinpoint, and the bacteria may have already been killed during disinfecting procedures following the discovery of the three cases in mid-October.

For more information on Legionnaires' disease, go to cdc.gov/legionella.